Biking in Toronto
Total 140 Posts
I went through an old bin of stuff I've saved for decades, throwing some stuff out and keeping a few priceless gems. In this bin of memories I found a couple of guides I received 25 years ago. One is entitled "Cycling Skills" and taught me the rules of the
Yesterday, at about noon, I crashed. Literally. Let me tell you about it... Much like today, it was warm out, but rainy. Ice certainly wasn't a concern, as we were nowhere near the freezing mark. It was just another rainy ride. There's a little loop near the Port Credit Yacht
In the spring of 2014, I wrote about the stretch of the Waterfront Trail between Norris Crescent and First Street. This is really the only part of the trail that's not off-road, not on quiet side streets and doesn't have a designated bike lane. I followed that entry up with
That was the best November I've ever cycled. Sure, there were a couple of toe-numbing days, but only a couple. The rest were ideal for biking. Here's how my November 2015 stacked up against November 2014. November 2015: 659.44 KMNovember 2014: 434.26 KMI'm now at 6859.76 KM
Toronto's winters are very bikable, so there's no need to put your bicycle away until spring. I biked through the past two winters and now have it down to a fine art. Sure, you'll need to skip a few days when it's actively storming or when the temperatures plummet below
Having surpassed my 2015 goal in mid-September, I'm now fulfilling a contractual obligation by comparing my year-over-year distances through December. Although there were a few chilly, wet days in October, overall it was a great cycling month, with the sun shining and mostly double-digit temps. Here's how my October 2015
My goal for 2015 was to bike 5000 KM. I had never biked that much in a single calendar year, and it seemed like an attainable goal if I stayed healthy. It turns out I hit that goal in early September, and just kept going. September was an amazing month
In the spring of 2014, I wrote about the stretch of the Waterfront Trail between Norris Crescent and First Street. This is really the only part of the trail that's not off-road, not on quiet side streets and doesn't have a designated bike lane. I followed that entry up with
If I stay healthy, I should demolish my goal of 5000 km for 2015. I'm actually on target to surpass 5000 km by the end of September. Here's how my August 2015 stacked up against August 2014. August 2015: 613.59 kmAugust 2014: 387.81 kmI'm now at 4517.53
I set a personal best for KM cycled in a single month in June, but I trounced that number in July. July was an amazing month for cycling this city, and I made the most of it. Here's how my cycling in July 2015 measured up against July 2014. July
You shouldn't wear headphones while you bike. At least that's what I tell my kids. The fact is, when I'm biking alone, I always wear headphones. I used to wear the buds that come with your smartphone. Then, for my recent birthday in June, my wife surprised me with a
June 2015 was an amazing month for cycling. The temperatures were pretty ideal, there wasn't much rain until last weekend, and we even got new trails to ride. I rode more kilometres in June than I have in any other month of my life. Here's how my cycling in June
As you may know from reading this blog, I rediscovered my love of cycling a few years ago. A great deal of my riding is done on the Waterfront Trail, which runs along Lake Ontario. I know every nook and cranny of that trail. On the days I decide to
For the first time since I started this year-over-year comparison, 2014 has beat 2015. In May 2014, I was training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer and put up some long rides. In May 2015, I just couldn't find the time. Here's how my cycling in May 2015 measured up
April was pretty awesome for cycling in Toronto. It warmed up considerably, was relatively dry and almost completely bug-free. Here's how my cycling in April 2015 measured up against April 2014. April 2015: 542.78 kmApril 2014: 291.72 kmIn defence of April 2014, I was a little busy with
Yes, March was unseasonably cold in Toronto, but compared to February it was paradise. Here's how my cycling in March 2015 compared to March 2014. March 2015: 492.44 kmMarch 2014: 139.58 kmIn defense of March 2014, I disappeared for a week to visit Germany. But there's no doubt
February was the coldest month in Toronto's recorded history, but trust me when I tell you last February wasn't much warmer and seemed to include more snow and ice. And the analytics tell me I managed to bike a great deal more this year. Here is how my cycling in
Here's a shot I took earlier in the week from the Humber Bay Arch Bridge. This was Monday, and those floating chunks of ice were completely gone when I biked by yesterday. The Martin Goodman Trail, except for this bridge, is completely plowed and salted, if you're looking for a
Recording all my bike rides allows me to get a little geeky and compare this year's me to last year's me. Every month I aim to ride further than I did the previous year. Here is how my cycling in January 2015 compared to January 2014. January 2015: 392.34
I strapped on my GoPro for yesterday's bike ride. I wanted to show people how safe my route is, even when the trails are covered in snow. I'll ride every day unless one of the following is true: It's colder than -20°C with the windchillSnow has been falling for
Recording all my bike rides allows me to get a little geeky and compare this year's me to last year's me. Every month I aim to ride further than I did the previous year. Here is how my cycling in December 2014 compared to December 2013. December 2014: 511.13
I started 2014 thinking cycling was the key to good physical health. I biked to stay fit. I'm finishing 2014 convinced cycling is the key to good mental health. I bike to gain perspective, collect my thoughts and solve problems. I bike to understand, to analyze and to dream. The
After watching Broadchurch last week, we decided to stay in England and dove into Luther. Luther is set in London and looks as if it was run through a filter. Everything is drenched in grey. These past few days, that's all I see when cycling. The concrete trails are grey,
I record all my bike rides. Here is how my cycling in November 2014 compared to November 2013. November 2014: 434.26 kmNovember 2013: 297.89 kmI'm rather pleased with myself, because in November 2013 I was biking every weekday, training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Most of this
As I did for September, here is how my cycling in October 2014 compared to October 2013. October 2014: 502.16 kmOctober 2013: 161.9 kmThis wasn't exactly a fair fight. My October 2013 total would have been much higher had I not left the country for a couple of
